KICKOFF
Last week, the Portland State women's soccer team earned their first win in conference play with a 2-1 victory over Big Sky leaders Weber State. They fell 1-0 to Idaho State in their second match of the week after conceding a goal not three minutes into the first half.
This week, the Vikings are on the road again to take on Northern Colorado on Thursday, Oct. 22 (11 a.m. PT / 12 p.m. MT kickoff), and Northern Arizona on Sunday, Oct. 25 (12 p.m. PT kickoff).
MATCH #14: PORTLAND STATE (3-10-0, 1-3-0) at NORTHERN COLORADO (5-5-4, 2-0-2)
LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO
DETAILS: Thursday, Oct. 22, 11 a.m. PT / 12 p.m. MT, Greeley, Colo.
SCOUTING NORTHERN COLORADO:
- The University of Northern Colorado Bears have won or tied nine of their first fourteen matches, and won or tied all four of their first conference appearances. Their last two matches resulted in a 0-0 tie versus Utah Tech (Oct. 15) and a 2-1 win over Southern Utah (Oct. 18).
- In their 2-1 win over Southern Utah, both goals came in the first half of the match. The first was scored just 7:30 into the match. The team recorded 13 shots, with eight of them on target.
- Six players have scored for the Bears: Maddie Mori (3), Lexi Tuite (2), Ava Marshall (2), Hannah Schmitt (2), Francesca Jordan (1) and Sunnie Yarnell (1).
- Mori leads the team in points (7) and is second in shots (17) and shots on goal (9).
- Tuite leads the team in shots (25) and shots on goal (11), and is second in points (6) and tied for second in goals (2).
- Northern Colorado averages 9.79 shots per game, compared to Portland State's 9.54.
- The Bears rank second in the Big Sky in saves per game (5.5), compared to Portland State's 5.38.
- Goalkeeper Thordis Melsted ranks second in the Big Sky in minutes played with 1246:41. She's started all 14 matches the Bears have played, with a 0.800 save percentage and a 1.37 goals-against average.
SERIES NOTES:
- Portland State has a 11-7-3 record against Northern Colorado.
- The last time the Vikings faced off against the Bears, they tied 1-1 (Oct. 12, 2025).
- Northern Colorado has a 4-5-2 home record against the Vikings.
MATCH #15: PORTLAND STATE (3-10-0, 1-3-0) at NORTHERN ARIZONA (7-4-3, 3-0-1)
LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO
DETAILS: Sunday, Oct. 25, 12 p.m. PT, Flagstaff, Ariz.
SCOUTING NORTHERN ARIZONA:
- The Northern Arizona University Lumberjacks have won or tied 10 of their first 14 matches played, and won or tied all four of their first four conference appearances. In their last two matches, they tied Southern Utah 1-1 (Oct. 15) and beat Utah Tech 2-0 (Oct. 18).
- Northern Arizona averages 14.14 shots per game compared to Portland State's 9.54.
- Eight players have scored for the Lumberjacks this season, with three recording multiple goals: Micala Boex (6), Valerie Llamas (3) and Ava Hinske (2).
- Boex also leads the team in points (14), shots (72), and shots on goal (32), and is tied for first in assists (2). She is ranked second nationally in shots per game (5.14), first in the Big Sky in shots on goal per game (2.29), and is tied for second in the conference in total goals (6).
- Llamas was named Big Sky Co-Offensive Player of the Week last week after scoring three goals in two matches.
- Goalkeeper Lexi Saveski has played 13 of 14 matches this season and leads the Big Sky Conference in both goals-against average (0.640) and save percentage (0.882).
SERIES NOTES:
- The Vikings have a 6-8-5 record against the Lumberjacks. Their last match resulted in a 1-0 win on Oct. 9, 2025.
FREE KICKS
- LAST TIME OUT: The Vikings played two one-game matches last week, beating Weber State, 2-1, while losing to Idaho State, 1-0. Elle Frazier scored in the Vikings' 2-1 win over the Wildcats. The second goal was an own goal by Weber State. Goalkeeper Finley Crabtree had 11 total saves.
- RARELY TIED: The Vikings have yet to play a match that was tied entering the 75th minute. The Vikings have rarely been tied in any match this season. Out of 1,170 total minutes played, the Vikings have only been tied for 316 of those minutes. That's 27 percent of the time.
- NON-CONFERENCE RECORDS: Non-conference records have been poor indicators of how the Vikings will finish the season in recent years. They were 1-5-2 at the end of their non-conference schedule last season, only to then go 3-3-2 within Big Sky play. The Vikings were similarly 1-5-3 and 2-5-1 through non-conference play in 2022 and 2024, respectively, only to then make the Big Sky tournament both years. The Vikings' best recent non-conference record came in 2023 when they went 4-5-0.
- SHOT DISTRIBUTION: 18 players have accounted for the Vikings' 124 shots this season. Aliayha Saldana leads the Vikings with 30 shots. Grace Sarabia is second with 16, followed by Camilla Contreras Bran who has 14.
STATS ROUNDUP
- OFFENSIVE NUMBERS: The Vikings' current goals-per-game average sits at 0.62. That's comparable to their averages the last two years (0.72 and 0.82 goals per game in 2024 and 2025, respectively). Their shots per game currently sits at 9.5, which increased from last year's 8.4.
- SALDANA THE SAVE-YUH: Aliayha Saldana has scored three of the Vikings' eight goals so far this season.
- DEFENSE FIRST: The Vikings have allowed multiple goals in seven of their thirteen matches this season. That's counter to how the Vikings have been in recent years. Last season, they allowed only five goals in eight conference matches, and never more than one goal in any match.
- KEEPER STATS: Despite some tough matches, the Vikings rank third in the Big Sky with 5.38 saves per game. Goalkeeper Finley Crabtree ranks third in the conference with 4.77 saves per game individually. She ranks fifth in the conference for total saves with 62.
- RETURNING GOAL SCORERS: The Vikings returned five of their top six scorers from last season. Aliayha Saldana and Grace Sarabia tied for second on the team with two goals each. Bianca Potesta, another returner, also tied for the team lead with two assists last season.
BACKGROUND FACTS
- PRESEASON PREDICTIONS: The Vikings were picked to finish sixth in the Big Sky Conference in the league's preseason coaches poll. The Vikings are coming off a 3-3-2 league record in 2025 when they were also 4-9-4 overall.
- TOURNEY REGULARS: The Vikings qualified for the Big Sky tournament for the fourth straight season in 2025 but fell 1-0 in the quarterfinals to Idaho.
- FAMILIAR FACES: The Vikings returned eight starters off last year's team, including All-Big Sky second-team selection Grace Sarabia and honorable mention Aliayha Saldana. Additionally, Elle Frazier – an All-Big Sky second-team selection in 2024 – returns to the active roster after missing last season with an injury.
- THAT'S OUR MO: Head coach Maureen Whitney (Sacramento State, 2001) begins her third year as head coach. She has a 11-28-9 career record, 6-9-5 in Big Sky Conference matches. Whitney is in her 10th season overall with the Viking program.
- FROM THE WINDY CITY TO THE ROSE CITY: Senior midfielder Alexis Boyer, junior midfielder Gabby Flores and senior midfielder Renee Davis are all transfers from Chicago State. Flores and Davis were the Cougars' point leaders in 2025. Flores had four goals and two assists while Davis had three goals and three assists. Boyer, meanwhile, ranked fourth on the team with 1,417 minutes played over 19 total appearances and 18 starts.
- LOCAL TIES: Three Vikings – sophomore midfielder McKenna Eggleston, sophomore defender Gianelly Gargurevich, and sophomore forward Claire Masters — are from Tigard, Oregon, where they played together at Tigard High School under head coach Scott Eggleston (McKenna's father).
- SHE FLIES WITH HER OWN WINGS: Portland State has 11 Oregonians on the roster, 10 of which are from the Portland metro area… in the era of the transfer portal, PSU has 11 players on the roster who competed at other four-year schools.
- THE ENEMY OF MY ENEMY IS MY FRIEND: The Vikings have two intra-conference transfers in Kendel Johnson (Montana) and Josie DeLine (Weber State). Johnson played in four matches as a freshman as Montana swept the Big Sky regular-season and tournament titles last season. DeLine, meanwhile, played two seasons for Weber State (2023-24) before transferring to the Vikings ahead of their 2025 season.
- BIG SKY EXPANSION: The Big Sky Conference expands this season with the addition of Utah Tech and Southern Utah (despite the departure of Sacramento State). There are now nine conference matches (rather than eight). PSU will play four at home and five on the road. Overall, the Vikings have 17 scheduled matches, with eight at home and nine on the road.
